The Soldier Extraordinaire
by Temujin the Obliterator
Summary: Colt Wilder returns to his home in Gotham city after ten years of war. His friends are changed and he himself is different. And now it seems Wilder finds himself in a new war against the forces of HYDRA who have infiltrated the city. He also goes on a journey to find a shocking truth about what he really is.


It had been many years since he'd been back to Gotham city. He'd left in 2007 joined the Marine Corp and made MARSOC before deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan among other areas. After that, the details got more and more classified. Then spent two years as a gun for hire under an alias before deciding to retire.

But now he was back and a changed man. Though as he walked around the dark murky streets of his childhood home, Colt Wilder knew that wasn't the same for the city. He kept his hands in his pockets as he strolled the streets at night.

Every time he passed an alleyway he peaked around first. It was hard to tell whether it was because he knew he was in Gotham or if it was an old habit he'd picked up during his time in war.

The smile on his face disappeared as heard footsteps from behind and felt a change in the movement of the air from behind. he whipped around as a young teenage thug was about to pull a Glock on him. Colt socked the boy hard across the jaw.

He dropped the gun which thankfully had the safety on when it hit the ground. So Colt walked over slowly and picked up the pistol. He examined the pistol.

"Safety's still on, either you're real smart figuring becoming wanted for murder isn't worth pocket change. So try an bluff em to make them think you'll shoot, or you're so stupid you didn't know safeties were a thing. Either way, kid, if ya see someone walking around the streets of Gotham at night they're not normal. So don't try and rob them." Colt said, "Now run on home, I'm keeping the gun. For your safety."

The kid nodded then scurried off to wherever he crawled out of. Colt then turned around and proceeded to walk down the sidewalk.

"Same fucking city, same fucking people," Colt grumbled.

Colt kept walking planning to meet someone at the bar. In truth, he'd only returned to this city for this meeting with a contact.

Colt stopped again. His eyes widened with anger. He drew the gun he'd just confiscated. He began to turn around.

"Seriously, did you not see what happened to the other-" he paused he raised an eyebrow,

The barrel of his gun was directed towards a man in a metal red helmet. He also had a red bat sign inscribed on his chest.

"Seriously, if you think a metal helmet protects from blunt force trauma then you've got another-"

"Wow! Wow! Hands up don't shoot!" Red Hood said holding his hands up, "It's me for god's sake."

Colt froze again his eyes widened. Then he formed a smile and lowered the pistol.

"Jason fucking Todd." Said Colt, "Jesus you've changed."

"Not so loud, people call me Red Hood now when I'm dressed like this. Let's find somewhere more private to talk."

Last time they'd met Colt was 17 and Jason was fifteen and robin. They were good friends once before Colt had the realization he didn't want to die on the streets so he got his "guardians" to give consent for him to enlist. Now Colt was 27 and Jason was 25.

"So let me get this straight," Colt said as they regrouped on the roof, "You died and then became a cooler vigilante fascinating."

"And you became a soldier, though with your reflexes I have to ask did you go commando."

"Can't really talk about it, but yeah essentially I guess we both sort of decided to finally get good."

There was a laugh. They use to be good friends even before Jason got adopted by a billionaire. A fact Colt teased him about at every opportunity.

"So what do you do now?" Red Hood asked, "And why'd you come back to this shit hole."

"As to what I do know, I just became a private contractor though it's just small security work no more combat stuff a bodyguard really, as to why I'm back. Just finished a contract. And I thought maybe I'd take a break try and meet someone-"

"And then you planned to take a random contract the second shit gets too complicated."

Jason still knew Colt well. Colt didn't like complications when he didn't feel it was necessary. He himself tried to act as if he was a simple man.

"Ya, I guess so," Said Colt, "Back to you, why the hell did you decide to stay here. I mean with your skillset you could be working security for some rich bloke in well anywhere else."

"Well, I actually did see the world when I had a team called the outlaws perhaps you've heard about it."

"Is it linked to the Justice League?" Questioned Colt.

"No," Said Red Hood disappointed, "So you haven't heard about it."

Colt shook his head. If he were being honest, there were a lot of things he hadn't heard about. The fact guys in costumes were running around everywhere was something that baffled him. He remembered when it was just the Batman. And an extraordinary thing. Now people acted as if it was a normal thing in America, to have guys dressed in colorful outfits fighting villains. He just couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Well, if you want to start another team, I'm technically currently unemployed."

"I'll remember that," Said Red Hood, "I should probably get back to work."

"No, it's not like Gotham city relies on vigilantes for stability or anything."

They both laughed. Then went their separate ways. Colt went back to the streets. It seemed Jason had grown. This thought bothered him just how much changed while he was away. But when the only thing consistent was that your shitty city was still shitty yet everything else had changed something was seriously wrong.

He arrived at the bar to see his contact sitting in the corner. He hadn't been given a name just a description. And that was a man in a brown trench coat and eye patch.

Colt saw a man who matched that description, along with a rugged face that looked hard and firm as a bolder. Colt said nothing he simply chose to sit down.

"Captain Gustav Colt Wilder, Marine Special operations and then Jsoc asset, your profile never specified what unit or even branch you were under in Jsoc,"

Colt was caught off guard the second the man used his full name. Then added with the fact the man possessed knowledge of classified information pinpointed this man was intelligence or ex intelligence. NSA or CIA those were the two that contracted ex military assets.

"Then you choose not to reenlist and it seems you took two years off, or that's what you wanted the world to think. Yet it coincides with the appearance of a costumed mercenary calling himself the Soldier Extraordinaire, combined with the fact you were administered infinite serum and trained extensively in various forms of combat it's no coincidence-"

"I don't know who you are but firstly no one calls me Gustav, Colt's my name, secondly in regards to infinite serum I have no idea what that is. And the Soldier Extraordinaire is a myth that circulates around military contractors. Doesn't exist, and for your information, I did contract work with Varangian Services and recline to talk about any more than that."

The man chuckled. Clearly he was not fooled he had sources. His speculations weren't speculation he somehow knew.

"Kid, a man sits down and lists every damn thing you've done in the shadows and you're first action is to deny. Why bother, besides who do you think provided Jsoc with the infinite serum."

Colt raised an eyebrow. That was a question he never thought to ask. Jsoc simply offered him a very intriguing position and he took it. Especially since he was still enlisted. He found it odd they would offer such a position to an enlisted men. But now he had an opportunity.

"Ok, why me then?" He Questioned, "Out of every other commando you could have chosen."

"It should take 4 years to become a marine CSO on your record it took one, the corp was so impressed with your record in Afghanistan in Force recon that they broke normal procedure. I'll admit twenty kills in a year is certainly impressive. But, I chose you after Iraq where you showed the type of grit I like,"

Colt was silent he didn't like to bring up that operation.

"I've got work for you, the type that remains behind black ink, do well and I've got another position of interest for you, a permanent employment in a new Agency that operates without borders. Sanctioned by the UN."

"That sounds great and all but I hung up the suit I'm done with combat. However, 6 other guys were in project Diomedes as they called it, which I'm sure you're aware of. All very skilled at what they do call one of them."

In truth this whole thing made Colt very uncomfortable. A man who knew things that no one should came out of nowhere offering a job he hadn't bothered to describe just felt very off.

"Son, I know you, you're not done you're a soldier through and through it's in your blood. Not a lot of 17 year olds manage to join marine Raiders. You were born to do this, and I know you'll come around so I'll give you twenty four hours to change your mind. And when you do, I'll be right here."

Colt chuckled. No, he was done with bullets ten years of that shit was good enough.

"Yeah we'll see."

Minutes later Colt returned to a small one bedroom in a motel. He sat down on the bed next to the nightstand. The man brought up Iraq something Colt did not like to think about, let alone talk about.

However now it was in his head. The rippling sound of a helicopter engine. Then a sharp crisp explosion followed by screams and gunfire. Then he shook his head and snapped out of it.

His head then snapped it's attention towards the night stand. There under the lamp sat a shiny bottle with bold letters that read Jack Daniel's. He'd heard stories of guys using alcohol to handle stress. He heard how it had the potential to evolve into a problem. But he'd only done it once in the past, surely doing it twice was no indication of a problem. A third time maybe but twice that was no indication of a problem.

So he reached over popped the cap off downed half the bottle and hit the bed minutes later.

His alarm clock chimed three times. Colt was up immediately. He was also sober alcohol wasn't as potent when you were genetically enhanced.

It was absolutely silent, this made it easy to think about Iraq, the mission to take out- No he needed to stop.

Colt with drew his phone. And then withdrew his ear buds. He opened up his playlist. He listened to a wide variety of music. But when he was running it was always rock classic rock. Today's choice was Hendrix the great. The song, machine gun.

Colt through the earbuds in. And the smooth sharp guitar blared on to the scene. Colt opened the door and began running. Once he was out side the lyrics began. Machine guun! Tearing my body apart. Hendrix sang into Colt's mind.

"Colt!" He heard someone shout.

Quickly he whipped out his phone and paused the song. He then turned around to see Jason sprinting up to him.

"Jason,long time no see." Colt said obviously sarcastically, "Don't work days."

"No, we got another guy who does that," Jason replied, "Are you really not going to ask how I found you."

"Well if you couldn't find me, you'd be a pretty shit vigilante, considering how I wasn't actively trying to hide."

They both laughed.

"Where are you jogging to?" Jason Questioned.

"I'd figure I'd get coffee somewhere, then jog back."

"I'll join you."

They nearest coffee shop was about an hour run from the motel. They arrived at the front entrance across the street from a tall building, Colt was about to enter then he heard the sound of rippling propellers. He froze and looked up in the sky. His head then turned to a roof top across the street.

It stayed their where he could see a man with a white scarf over his face and a javeline rocket launcher peering over. He stared back at the helicopter an Apache attack helicopter coming in to provide air support. He wanted to shout but couldn't a rocket took flight from the launcher headed right for the chopper.

"Colt!"

Colt Wilder jumped back to reality the helicopter a white Gotham news chopper. And nothing was over the building across the streets.

"Colt," Jason said again, "You ok."

"Yeah, just fine," He said quick to brush it off, "Let's get some coffee."

Minutes later the two men took a seat at a table. Jason got his black while Colt preferred some sophisticated latte.

"Always getting something fancie," Jason replied, "Despite the fact you're usually broke."

"That's where you're wrong I'm always broke, doesn't mean I don't have a taste for the finer things."

"And that's why you're always broke."

Perhaps he had a point. After all his outstanding credit card debt could be blamed for a lot of things in hindsight he didn't really need.

"So," Began Colt, "You got a day job?"

"No," Jason replied, "You even find a job."

"I got an offer," said Colt, "Don't know whether to take it or not."

"Whatever it is it pays, I'd do it just until you find something better."

Colt nodded though he couldn't imagine the job he'd been offered easy to quit. However it would indeed pay the bills.

"Perhaps you're right," Colt replied before taking a sip from his coffee, "It wouldn't be bad to have something to do."

They got up shortly after they finished their coffee and walked out.

"Colt, if you don't mind me asking what was the war like?"

"Which one?" Questioned Colt, "Iraq,Afghanistan,Syria, Africa."

"Africa?"

"Ya know what forget I mentioned Africa I don't actually think I can legally talk about that one."

"Alright let's go with Iraq and Afghanistan."

Colt took a second to think how to sum it up rather quickly.

"It was actually going quite well until we got Sadam. After that the whole damn region turned into a fucking Hornets nest. Things weren't much better in Afghanistan. Ask me we should've ended things when we got Bin Laden."

"Interesting."

"Let's move on," Colt replied, "What's being a vigilante like?"

"If I'm being honest fucking exhausting," Jason said as they began running again, "You spend whole nights beating hardened criminals with your bare hands to send them to jail. Just so you can beat the same damn criminals a few weeks later."

"Why not just kill them," Said Colt, "I mean you've already racked up enough assault and battery to go to jail for life."

"Frankly I feel bad," Jason said, "Most of the guys on the street are just pawns just trying to make ends meet."

"Alright, what about the crime lords the guys profiting from all this. After all take out the right guy the whole thing comes apart."

"I've thought about it, the best way to put it the top vigilante wouldn't very much like it."

Colt found that fascinating even working outside the law there were still laws. And it seemed everyone really did answer to someone else.

They jogged back to the motel before going their separate ways. Colt waved his hand the air in good by before entering his room.

He sat back done on his bed. He remembered the helicopter and the feeling he'd gotten in that moment. He hadn't frozen up like that before at least not in public anyways. Nor did he use to have these feelings.

It seemed not thinking about an operation gone wrong in the past proved to be difficult when there was nothing to do. His stent as a mercenary may have only been two years but it kept him very busy to busy to think about things to hard that didn't concern the job.

But now all he could think about was walking was the operation. The sound of gun fire cracking followed by screams and red blood stains painting the ground,the walls, and him.

Colt brought himself out of it shaking his head and then turned to the half drunk bottle of Jack Daniels. How easy it would be to reach out and grab. No He thought knowing it would become a bad habit. And being broke was not good to merge with an alcohol addiction. Luckily he knew a way to fix at least one of those problems.

Colt entered the bar at the exact same time he had the previous night. He looked over to the corner to see the exact same man in the exact same spot. So he took the exact same seat.

The man with his eye patch, looked at Colt with his good eye. He then formed a sharp grin on his face.

"As I expected," The man said, "You've decided to embrace what you are."

"I've decided to take the job," Colt replied, "Mr-, ya know you never mentioned your name."

"Fury, Nick Fury."


End file.
